Market Movements - US stock index futures are all up, with Dow futures rising by 0.33%, S&P 500 futures by 0.28%, and Nasdaq futures by 0.22% [1] - European indices also show positive movement, with Germany's DAX up 0.08%, UK's FTSE 100 up 0.05%, France's CAC40 up 0.25%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 up 0.30% [2][3] - WTI crude oil increased by 0.31% to $63.72 per barrel, while Brent crude oil rose by 0.19% to $67.80 per barrel [4] Federal Reserve Insights - Market is focused on Jerome Powell's upcoming speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, which is anticipated to be a pivotal moment for future Fed monetary policy [5] - According to CME FedWatch, traders are betting on a 73.5% probability of a 25 basis point rate cut at the Fed's September meeting, with at least one more cut expected this year [5] - Analysts warn that if Powell does not confirm or suggest a rate cut, it could lead to significant repricing of bond yields and risk assets [5] Company Performance - Goldman Sachs predicts Powell will not explicitly signal a rate cut in his speech, while Yardeni Research estimates the probability of a September cut at only 40% [6] - HSBC suggests that despite tariffs impacting US corporate profit margins, the rapid adoption of AI could help reduce operational costs by 1%, potentially offsetting 25% of the cost increase from tariffs [6] - UBS indicates that the effective tariff rate in the US has exceeded 18%, with expectations of a stabilization around 15% by mid-2026, suggesting that companies are beginning to pass on tariff costs to consumers [6] Individual Company News - Gold Fields (GFI.US) reported a net profit of $1.02 billion for the first half of the year, doubling from $389 million year-over-year, and announced an interim dividend of 7 Rand ($0.3948) per share [8] - Zoom (ZM.US) achieved its strongest growth in 11 quarters, with enterprise sales up 7% to $730.7 million, exceeding analyst expectations [9] - Ross Stores (ROST.US) reported sales of $5.53 billion for the quarter, a 2% increase year-over-year, and adjusted EPS of $1.56, surpassing market expectations [9] - Chinese stocks are mostly up in pre-market trading, with notable gains for Miniso (MNSO.US) up over 8%, NIO (NIO.US) up over 5%, and Pinduoduo (PDD.US) up over 4% [10]

Core Insights - Zoom Video Communications reported stronger-than-expected annual revenue growth outlook and raised its profit forecast for the fiscal year, indicating successful adoption of its generative AI tools among enterprise clients [1][2] - The company expects total revenue for the fiscal year ending January to be approximately $4.83 billion, with non-GAAP earnings per share projected between $5.81 and $5.84, surpassing Wall Street's average estimates [1][2] - Despite facing competition from Microsoft Teams and a decline in consumer licenses, many enterprise clients continue to retain Zoom's services [1] Financial Performance - In the second quarter of fiscal 2026, Zoom's enterprise business sales grew by 7% year-over-year to $730.7 million, exceeding Wall Street's expectations [2] - The company reported a total revenue increase of 4.7% to $1.22 billion for the third calendar quarter ending July 31, with adjusted earnings per share of $1.53, significantly above average analyst forecasts [2] AI Integration - Zoom has embedded generative AI features into its communication and collaboration product line, including Meetings, Team Chat, Mail, Phone, and Contact Center, enhancing its software platform [3][4] - The AI Companion, a platform-level AI tool, has gained "millions" of monthly active users, quadrupling from the previous year, and is positioned as a key driver for revenue and profit growth [2][3] Product Features - The AI Companion is designed to coordinate and execute multi-step operations, such as automating information organization, drafting communications, and generating project briefs from meeting content [4] - New features like AI Expert Assist and Virtual Agent have been introduced to enhance the Contact Center capabilities, providing real-time knowledge support and natural language processing for customer interactions [5]

Core Viewpoint - Zoom Communications reported strong second-quarter earnings, exceeding analyst expectations in both revenue and adjusted earnings per share [1] Financial Performance - Revenue for the second quarter increased nearly 5% year-over-year to $1.217 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $1.198 billion [1] - Adjusted earnings per share rose 10% year-over-year to $1.53, also above the expected $1.38 [1] Customer Metrics - As of the end of the quarter, Zoom had 4,274 customers, with each contributing over $100,000, marking an 8.7% increase compared to the same period last year [1] Guidance Update - Due to the strong performance in the second quarter, the company raised its full-year guidance, projecting revenue between $4.83 billion and $4.84 billion, and adjusted earnings per share between $5.81 and $5.84 [1]

Group 1 - A clear bifurcation in the stock market is observed, with investors favoring large-cap tech stocks while small and mid-cap growth stocks are declining sharply [1] - The Q2 earnings season is winding down, highlighting the contrasting performance between different market segments [1] Group 2 - Gary Alexander has extensive experience in covering technology companies and has been involved with seed-round startups, providing insights into current industry themes [1]

Market Overview - Major indexes closed mostly in the red, with the Dow down 157 points, S&P 500 down 24 points, and Nasdaq down 90 points, while the small-cap Russell 2000 gained 4 points [1] Economic Indicators - S&P flash Manufacturing PMI for August reached 53.3, significantly above the anticipated 49.5 and July's 49.8, marking a more than 3-year high [2] - August Services PMI was reported at 55.4, the second consecutive month above 55 this year [2] Company Earnings Reports - **Zoom Communications (ZM)**: Shares rose 6% after Q2 earnings beat expectations by 10% at $1.53 per share, with revenues of $1.217 billion, a 4.7% year-over-year growth, and non-GAAP operating margins at 41.3% [3] - **Intuit (INTU)**: Shares fell 5% despite beating fiscal Q4 earnings expectations by 10 cents at $2.75 per share, with revenues of $3.8 billion, a 20% year-over-year increase, attributed to lackluster guidance for the current quarter [4] - **Ross Stores (ROST)**: Shares increased by 2.3% after Q2 earnings of $1.56 per share exceeded consensus by 4 cents, with revenues of $5.5 billion, a 5% year-over-year growth, and expected comps of 2-3% going forward [5] Upcoming Events - Fed Chair Jerome Powell's address at the Economic Symposium in Jackson Hole, WY, is anticipated to provide insights on interest rate decisions for the September meeting [6] - Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) data is due out a week from Friday, with the last report showing year-over-year PCE at 2.6% and core PCE at 2.8% [7]

Financial Performance - For the quarter ended July 2025, Zoom Communications reported revenue of $1.22 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 4.7% [1] - The earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was $1.53, up from $1.39 in the same quarter last year [1] - The reported revenue exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.2 billion, resulting in a surprise of +1.66% [1] - The company achieved an EPS surprise of +11.68%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.37 [1] Key Metrics - Zoom had 184,000 enterprise customers, slightly below the four-analyst average estimate of 186,862 [4] - Customers generating over $100K in trailing twelve months (TTM) revenue totaled 4,274, surpassing the average estimate of 4,233 [4] - The current remaining performance obligation (RPO) was reported at $2.41 billion, compared to the average estimate of $2.45 billion [4] - Total remaining performance obligations (RPO) stood at $3.98 billion, slightly below the two-analyst average estimate of $4 billion [4] - Non-current remaining performance obligation (RPO) was $1.57 billion, slightly above the average estimate of $1.53 billion [4] - Online revenue reached $486.6 million, exceeding the three-analyst average estimate of $477.5 million [4] - Enterprise revenue was reported at $730.7 million, also above the average estimate of $719.9 million [4] Stock Performance - Over the past month, shares of Zoom have returned -5.1%, while the Zacks S&P 500 composite has changed by +1.7% [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating potential performance in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Group 1: Earnings Performance - Zoom Communications reported quarterly earnings of $1.53 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.37 per share, and up from $1.39 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of +11.68% [1] - The company posted revenues of $1.22 billion for the quarter ended July 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.66%, compared to year-ago revenues of $1.16 billion [2] - Over the last four quarters, Zoom has consistently surpassed consensus EPS estimates and revenue estimates [2] Group 2: Stock Performance and Outlook - Zoom shares have declined approximately 11.6% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 8.7% [3] - The company's future stock performance will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call and the sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently released numbers [3][4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.38 on revenues of $1.21 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $5.58 on revenues of $4.8 billion [7] Group 3: Industry Context - The Internet - Software industry, to which Zoom belongs, is currently ranked in the top 30% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook [8] - Empirical research suggests a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can impact investor decisions [5]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue grew 4.7% year over year to $1.217 billion, exceeding guidance by $17 million [15][19] - Non-GAAP gross margin increased to 79.8%, up 128 basis points year over year, driven by cost optimization [17] - Non-GAAP operating income grew 10.5% year over year to $503 million, exceeding guidance by over $38 million [18] - Free cash flow increased 39% year over year to $508 million, representing a free cash flow margin of 41.7% [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Enterprise business revenue grew 7% year over year, representing 60% of total revenue, up one point year over year [15][16] - Average monthly churn in the online business remained flat at 2.9% [16] - The number of enterprise customers contributing over $100,000 in trailing twelve-month revenue grew approximately 9% year over year [16] - Zoom Phone sustained mid-teens ARR growth, gaining market share against competitors [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue growth in the Americas was 5% year over year, EMEA grew 6%, and APAC grew 4% [17] - Deferred revenue grew 5% year over year to $1.48 billion, slightly ahead of the high end of the previously provided range [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on three key priorities: delivering world-class AI, rapidly innovating Zoom Workplace, and scaling high-growth departmental solutions [5][9] - Zoom aims to strengthen its position as a leader in AI-powered collaboration, with significant growth in AI Companion monthly active users [6][7] - The company is expanding its collaboration with PwC to enhance its contact center and AI opportunities [13] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the strength of customer demand and the ability to navigate a dynamic macroeconomic environment [91] - The company raised its full-year revenue guidance to a range of $4.825 to $4.835 billion, representing approximately 3.5% year-over-year growth [22] - Management noted that AI adoption is critical for driving business outcomes and customer engagement [7][11] Other Important Information - The company has been recognized with multiple awards for innovation and leadership in the UCaaS space [9] - The launch of Virtual Agent 2.0 is expected to enhance customer engagement and drive revenue growth [8] Q&A Session Summary Question: What ROI are customers seeing from AI solutions? - Management highlighted that AI adoption has significantly increased, with monthly active users growing four times year over year, indicating positive feedback and productivity improvements [28][30] Question: How are vertical-specific AI companions informing customer needs? - Management noted that early adopters are looking beyond basic functionalities and are interested in customized AI solutions that integrate with their existing systems [34][35] Question: What feedback has been received regarding the price increase for the online segment? - Management reported stable churn rates and positive customer feedback regarding the value proposition, indicating that the price increase has not led to significant pushback [41][42] Question: What is the outlook for the AI Companion add-on? - Management indicated that initial customer feedback has been positive, and there is a strong interest in customizing AI solutions to better meet specific needs [56][62] Question: What is driving the success of the contact center solutions? - Management attributed success to customer dissatisfaction with existing providers, the comprehensive feature set of Zoom's solutions, and the trust in the Zoom brand [99][100]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue grew 4.7% year over year to $1.217 billion, exceeding guidance by $17 million [14][19] - Non-GAAP gross margin increased to 79.8%, up 128 basis points year over year, driven by cost optimization [17] - Non-GAAP income from operations rose 10.5% year over year to $503 million, exceeding guidance by over $38 million [18] - Operating cash flow grew 15% year over year to $516 million, with a margin of 42.4% [20] - Free cash flow increased 39% year over year to $508 million, representing a margin of 41.7% [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Enterprise business revenue grew 7% year over year, representing 60% of total revenue, up one point year over year [15] - Average monthly churn in the online business remained flat year over year at 2.9% [16] - The number of enterprise customers contributing over $100,000 in trailing twelve-month revenue grew approximately 9% year over year [16] - The number of Zoom contact center customers with over $100,000 in ARR grew 94% year over year to 229 [10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue growth in the Americas was 5% year over year, EMEA grew 6%, and APAC grew 4% [17] - Deferred revenue at the end of the period grew 5% year over year to $1.48 billion [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on three key priorities: delivering world-class AI, rapidly innovating Zoom Workplace, and scaling high-growth departmental solutions [4] - AI adoption is expanding beyond meeting summaries to include meeting preparation, task management, and integration with other services [5][6] - The company aims to maintain a long-term goal of 80% non-GAAP gross margins while balancing investments in AI with cost efficiencies [17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the strength of customer demand and the ability to navigate a dynamic macroeconomic environment [90] - The company anticipates continued growth in AI adoption among customers, which is expected to enhance productivity and operational effectiveness [30][31] - Guidance for Q3 revenue is projected to be in the range of $1.21 to $1.215 billion, representing approximately 3% year-over-year growth [21] Other Important Information - The company has accelerated its share buyback program, purchasing 6 million shares for $463 million [20] - Upcoming event Zoomtopia is expected to showcase new product innovations and customer success stories [12] Q&A Session Summary Question: What ROI are customers seeing from AI solutions? - Management noted that AI adoption has led to significant increases in monthly active users, with a fourfold increase year over year [29] Question: How are vertical-specific AI companions informing customer needs? - Management indicated that customers are looking beyond basic functionalities and are interested in customized AI solutions that integrate with their existing systems [36] Question: Feedback on the online segment and price increase impact? - Management confirmed that the price increase is on track to add $10 to $15 million in incremental revenue, with stable churn rates and no significant pushback from customers [42][45] Question: Insights on WorkVivo's growth and market opportunities? - Management highlighted strong growth in WorkVivo, with a focus on ensuring smooth transitions for customers and expanding opportunities in the medium-sized customer segment [51] Question: What is driving success in the contact center business? - Management attributed success to customer dissatisfaction with existing providers, the comprehensive feature set of Zoom's solutions, and a strong focus on customer experience [98][100]

Zoom Communications Q2 FY26 Earnings August 21, 2025 © 2025 Zoom Communications, Inc. Use of non-GAAP financial measures In addition to the financials presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), this presentation includes the following non-GAAP metrics: Revenue in Constant Currency, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP R&D expense, non-GAAP S&M expense, non-GAAP G&A expense, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP net in ...